


Dear Friend

by twenty_one_plants



Series: Cobwebs and Flies Come Out [2]
Category: Bandom, Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Fluff, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Mute!Tyler, Past Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Past Sexual Abuse, Self-Harm, Songfic, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt, also Tyler isn't mute anymore, based on the song Lovely, this is just fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-22
Updated: 2015-06-22
Packaged: 2018-04-05 14:18:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4182999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twenty_one_plants/pseuds/twenty_one_plants
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two years after Tyler tells Josh what happened to him all those years ago, making him go mute.</p><p> </p><p>Sequel to You Are Lovely.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dear Friend

“Flies and cobwebs unwind, they will not take you down, they will not cast you out!”

 

A _giggling_ smile. A _bright_ smile, no residue of fingers down his throat ever seen or felt. It’s  careful, yet careless. A feeling in his chest. _Pride. Happiness._

__  
  


_Survival._ _Two_ years after he told Joshua. _Two_ years of speaking, weak, though _strong._

  
  


Josh slams on his drums, giggling and flashing a wide grin to Tyler.

 

 _Seven_ years of dating this man, _eight_ years since his voice lost. His vocal chords groan as he raises his voice, higher, _higher._ Still unable to scream, his voice was still _far_ too weak.

  
  


A garage was their choice of stage. Their dream was coming true. They were being _heard._

  
  


_Ten_ people, consisting of _parents_ and _brothers_ and _sisters_ that beamed at their kin, smiling and happy for once _. Pride._

Tyler parades around the cement of the garage, dancing and twirling while paying attention to his microphone, he didn’t want to get tangled in that mess.

That happened during practice, _Josh_ had to untangle him.

 

Josh misses a few beats, eyes focused on the ball of energy before him. Tyler turns and blows a kiss at the drummer, singing sweetly.

 

There were no hands to touch him but Josh’s. No harsh words to ever hurt him again.

 

No handprints spreading his legs apart as he cried for them to _stop._

  
  


There was no crying anymore.

  
  


Only strength. Freedom. _Surviving._

  
  


This was the part of the song Tyler had a hard time rapping. It was hard. Too hard… Rapping was too hard for his voice. Josh gives Tyler a look.

 

_‘Don’t push yourself, baby boy.’_

Tyler glares back, sweetly grinning. He had to do this. _He had to_. Therapy for two years after he told Josh wasn’t going to be wasted on nothing.

Even if it was rapping.

  
  


“Dear friend, here we are again pretending, to understand how you think your world is ending, sending signals and red flags in waves,”

Tyler sucks in a soft breath, smiling weakly at Josh to the side of him.

Tyler grins, continuing quickly. Josh misses beats, watching in awe.

“It's hard to tell the difference between blood and water these days, I'll pray that one day you see, the only difference between life and dying, is one is trying, that's all we're called to do-”

“So try to love me and I'll try to save you.” He raps this in two breaths, giggling as he sings the next lines.

 

Josh entirely stops. The shitty synth was playing as backing to Tyler’s voice. He blinks, looking back at Josh.

 

Josh interrupts Tyler quickly, “I’m _so_ proud of you, baby boy.”

 

Tyler squeaks into his mic, the sound amplifying.

 

A crowd of _ten. Brothers. Sisters. Mothers. Fathers._

 

_No handprints._

 

 _Safety. Safety._ Strong voice, however not strong enough to scream the lyrics he wanted to puke.

 

He sings the next lines softly.

 

* * *

 

A crowd of over _five thousand_ people.

 

A _deep_ breath.

 

“You say things with your mouth, cobwebs and flies come out!”

 

The crowd sings along with every word Tyler _screams_ out, jumping with giddiness.

 

_They made it._

_They had made it._

 

 _Three_ years after that show to ten people.

 

 _Survival. Five_ years after he told Joshua. _Five_ years of speaking, _strong,_ yet _gentle._

 

Josh slams on his drums, giggling and flashing a wide grin to Tyler.

 

 _Ten_ years of dating this man, _Eleven_ years since his voice lost. His vocal chords groan as he raises his voice, higher, _higher._ Able to _scream,_ his voice was _strong._

  
  


_Tyler Joseph is strong._

“You say things with your mouth, cobwebs and flies come out!” He’s louder, screaming his lungs out. Josh sings too.

 

_Joshua. The one person he needed._

 

Tyler bounces about the stage. They had just done the final song, Goner.

Tyler needed to sing the one song that made him continue on.

The first song he wrote after he got his voice back. A song he dedicated to the _one_ human being that saved him.

 

“You say things with your mouth, cobwebs and flies come out!” Screaming and tensing, fans singing _right back_ at him.

 

_It’s fucking surreal._

 

Their dream is  _real._

  
  


“You say things with your mouth, cobwebs and flies come out!”

“You say things with your mouth, cobwebs and flies come out!”

“You say things with your mouth, cobwebs and flies come out!”  He shrieks this final line, giddily looking back at Josh.

 

Nothing bad was gonna happen. _Nothing._

_It was okay now._

 

The entire crowd cheers as they both stop playing. Tyler pants softly, smiling at the array of people standing before him.

Tyler gulps softly, speaking into the microphone. “That… That song was called _Lovely._ I wrote it for _Joshua…”_   
  
The crowd screams violently at this. It’s cute to them.

 

Tyler keeps speaking. “Passing notes help. It’s… It’s been eleven years, Joshua. Eleven.”

 

Josh’s face falls. The fans see this. They go quiet in confusion.

 

Tyler’s voice gets choked up. It isn’t because of someone’s fingers. It’s _tears._ _Happy tears._

 

“Passing _notes_ helps. A _k-kitchen sink_ helps. _Fingers_ in your _mouth_ doesn’t. That song is called Lovely and it’s for my boyfriend of _ten years,_ Joshua. He saved my fucking life. He gave me back my voice…”

 

Josh starts to cry, deciding to back flip off his drum kit and stand beside Tyler.

 

Tyler giggles at this silly action. He kisses Josh’s cheek, heart beating fast.

  
  


Josh gently grabs ahold of Tyler’s hand. The crowd cheers.

 

“I’m _not_ finished.”

 

The crowd goes quiet.

 

Tyler yanks Josh closer.

 

“Joshua let me see his laptop one day. He saved me. Josh also threw away the rope. That song is for you, all of the survivors and strugglers. I love you. Stay alive, and you’ll get your voice back…”

 

Tyler detaches himself from Josh, Josh watching Tyler in confusion.

Tyler walks back to where his water bottle is. _Manilla notepad in hand. He walks back beside Josh._

 

  
Josh swallows uncomfortably. They got rid of _everything_ from that time.

Tyler scribbles something down in pen on the top paper, tearing it off and carefully placing it in Josh’s hand.

 

_‘I’m sorry I ruined our dream.’_

 

Josh frowns. This was something Tyler told him _years_ back…

 

Tyler mutters. “Turn it over. Read it out loud.”

Josh blinks, shrugging wearily.

He clears his voice, speaking into the microphone.

  
  


_“We made this dream come true.”_

 

No handprints on his hips, no lip marks on his face.

 

  
Only Josh carefully setting his hands on Tyler’s hips, pressing his lips against Tyler’s.

  
  


The note falls from Josh’s hands.

  
  
Tyler would survive the sound of _water rushing._ Tyler would survive _rope._ Tyler would survive _touches._

 

_Tyler will survive._


End file.
